Fall is upon us and as the temperature drops we know that your mind is drifting to the warm tropical place so many of you consider paradise. We hope you will take this time to consider becoming a CEA Member or renewing you current membership. We are now proud to announce we are listing all our CEA Members and Contributors on our CEA Friends page. Please take a moment and make sure we have you listed.

A Site for CeMIR

Since 2001, CEA has been working with support from The Summit Foundation to obtain a quarry close to Akumal as a site for the Centro de Manejo Integral de Residuos (CeMIR), which in English translates as Center for Integrated Waste Management. Various changes at Fidecaribe, the State land agency that owns the quarry, have not only slowed the process, but also had lead CEA to start looking for an alternative.

During the last week in September, Emilio Talancón, CEA's staff member in charge of relations with government and business, lead a delegation of CEA staff members to a conference on "Advances and Challenges of Coastal Management", held September 24-26 in Chetumal, the State capitol. As part of the agenda, Emilio, CEA wetland engineer Kate Riley and David Nuñez, from CEA's water testing laboratory called at the offices of Fidecaribe and learned that the quarry had been given to the Comisión de Aqua Potable (CAPA) where they planned to build a sewage treatment plant. The group went immediately to CAPA's offices and once they identified themselves all fell into place.

CEA has been talking with CAPA officials in Playa del Carmen for over a year and had become well known there. The official in Chetumal knew of CEA through the efforts of Jorge Luis Basave in 2002, who then represented CEA at government councils. The official, Ing. Jaime Ricardo Quiñones Baas, Director of Studies and Projects for CAPA, pulled out a copy of the CEA project book that Jorge Luis had left with him. Ing. Quiñones said that he approved and liked the concept. Emilio proposed that CEA join CAPA in the quarry project by adding a constructed wetland to the mechanical treatment plant in order to treat the plant effluent for nutrients. Nutrients are a major cause of algal growth in the ocean, which smother the reefs. Ing. Quiñones agreed.

CEA has submitted a letter agreement to CAPA and upon its being signed, the CeMIR project moves into its next phase and the coral reefs of the Mexican Caribbean get a new lease on life.

Wetlands Retrofit – Update

CEA's demonstration wetlands, located between the Turtle Bay Bakery and the music stage, are being rebuilt to include the latest technical improvements. Funded through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the rebuilt wetlands will include an improved plumbing design and an aeration system that is said to improve treatment five-fold. The program began October 2 under the supervision of Engineer Kate Riley. Jaime Medina of Servitodo has been contracted to carry out the work.

So far, all the plants and gravel have been removed; the meter-deep concrete structures have been cleaned and inspected. The concrete walls and floor have withstood the past eight years without deterioration or cracking. Surprisingly, the gravel through which the raw sewage moves over five to seven days as bacteria around the plant roots kill pathogens and plants absorb nutrients and water, had no sewage odor. What can be smelled is the perfume from soap!

Never one to let an opportunity pass, Kate Robinhawk suggested that the sweet-smelling old gravel be spread over the unpaved, sometimes muddy, roads around the Cancha (basketball court) in front of the CEA dorms. As the sun dries the gravel (and kills any lingering pathogens), the dark stones turn light gray and the smell of laundry soap fills the air.

Next month, we will finish the story of the retrofit and in coming months the CEA Newsletter will report on the chemical and bacteriological changes that take place in the improved wetland environment.


Build a Solar Culture Where the Sun Shines

Centro Ecologico Akumal and Grupo Fenix of Nicaragua invite you to be a pioneer in the development of a solar culture in the Mexican Caribbean, while you learn how to build a solar oven, as well as a solar water heater and battery charger powerd by a solar panel.To learn more please click here.

Cooperativa Organica - October Update
Right after our last report the tourist season ended and we thought that the quantity of organics would fall dramatically, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. For more information please click here.

Tales from Ecotourists and Volunteers
We have some new stories by Ecotourists and Volunteers; to read them please click here.

2003-04 Scholarship Program
Susan Hillyer’s Mount Pleasant, SC’s water aerobics class is continuing to reach out and help the children in Akumal; and the momentum is growing others from the internet have joined forces to expand this year’s scholarship program. Last year we were able to help two children with monthly stipends. This year we will be helping four children, one in Kindergarten, one in primary, and another in secondary and a high school student. Click here to read more.

VIDAS Clinic Reminder
The volunteer group of veterinarians,VIDAS, is returning to the area this coming November 10-15 to do a clinic in Tulum. Click here to read more about it and how you can help.

Good-bye to an Old Friend and Colleague
CEA said good-bye to Rogelio Villavicencio this last month, he ran the CEA Turtle protection program for years and it was with great sadness that we have had to see him go. We wish him all the success and happiness. Click here to read Rogelio’s good-bye note.

At the same time we say hello to Ivan who is now in charge of the CEA Program. Ivan is a veterinarian student at UNAM.

Thank you for your continued support of CEA and remember our on-line store is now open; click here to visit.

If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, or simply need to contact CEA, please click here.